Monsters University: Catch Archie top 5 tips, tricks, and cheats

Monsters University is a great movie that also happens to have a great mobile game to go with it. The full, paid version comes with two mini games, the first of which is Catch Archie. That pesky little scare pig causes havoc and then runs away, and you have to go catch him. It soon gets its hooks into you, and I'm finding it hard to put down these days. So, here's our top five tips to help you get the best out of Monsters University: Catch Archie!

Play the game with two hands

It maybe sounds silly, but it's really not. Some endless runners – like Temple Run – you really can play with one hand. This isn't one of them. From general jumping, sliding and dodging to trying to trap little Archie, you need to have two hands on the device to get the best from it.

Time your jumps, slides and dodges

Again, sounds like common sense, but it's important to get a good handle on how the game mechanics handle. The dodges in particular can be tricky initially, because of the elastic nature; your monster will kick out left or right then return quickly to the middle.

The important thing to remember is that while the obstacles don't 'kill' your run as they would in many other runners, you're against the clock. If you hit something and slow down, Archie gets further away and harder to catch. Obstacles ramp up as the levels tick by, so take the time to perfect the controls in those early levels.

Coins, coins coins!

Coins buy certain bonuses, but they also buy new monsters. Sulley, for example, requires you to be at level 6, but also costs 500 coins. Look out for them overhead as you're running, and make sure to time your movements to maximise coin collection. Buying stuff isn't totally necessary to progress, but it does make you a little more competitive, and unlocks the remaining characters.

Also, especially early on, consider not jumping on Archie the first time you see the grab button appear. If you've got plenty of time left, consider running on to get more coins. It beats buying them!

Speaking of which, it is possible to purchase coins via in-app purchase, though so far I've not found it necessary to do so in order to achieve success. There are however a bunch of ways to earn free coins, some of which just involve watching a trailer for a game or movie. That 30 seconds of your time gets you some free currency, so it's well worth doing.

Don't preempt the needle when trapping Archie

The biggest mistake I've made in playing the game is trying to manipulate the needle that appears when you jump onto Archies back. To catch him you need to stop yourself from falling off, but trying too hard to manipulate the needle to stay in the middle can backfire and find you back on the floor.

Instead, try and wait for the needle to move first and then counteract. Continually tapping left or right doesn't work so well, so wait for each movement then react to it. You'll find yourself spending less time falling off and having to do it all over again.

Grab the right bonus items

As you progress, you gain XP, level up, and unlock bonus items. You can also buy bonus items with in-game currency, but why pay for things you can get for free. Magnets and Invulnerability are two that you should always make the effort to grab in your run. One attracts all the valuable coins around you, and one lets you run straight through obstacles. Both take manoevres out of your hands, so you can just get your head down and carry on running.

Some, like the big coin, flash up with a purchase price that will sap you of a good chunk of coins. Just think before you hit the buy button though; do you really need it? Or are you saving your coins for something more worthwhile

Your tips!

So, those are some of our tips to catching Archie the Scare Pig, what about yours? It might be a reasonably simple game, but with attention in the right areas you can definitely get yourself a leg up! If you've got a nugget of gold we missed, be sure to share it with us all in the comments below!